The Hyundai Ioniq five got a warm welcome when it debuted in 2022. The compact EV SUV inspired with its ambitious styling, cabin and fast charging.
This year, Hyundai introduced a new high-performance variant called the Ioniq Five N to compete with the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT and the Tesla Model Y Performance.
I was impressed by the Ioniq 5 N’s retro rally car looks, supercar performance, and advanced driving and infotainment tech.
I was disappointed with the high-performance Hyundai’s limited EV range.
The base 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 starts at $42,500, while the Ioniq 5 N starts at $66,100.
Freight costs and floor mats raised the value of my paycheck car to $67,685.
Despite being labeled an SUV, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is a hot hatchback in the truest sense, evoking classic rally racers from the 80s and early 90s like the Lancia Delta Integrale.
The N’s revised front fascia includes aerodynamic elements such as wings and active air shutters for improved cooling. At the rear, the N features a giant spoiler and a diffuser that protrudes from the bumper to optimize airflow.
Compared to the Ioniq 5, the N is about an inch lower, two inches wider in the rear due to wider tires, and more than 3 inches longer due to the rear diffuser.
Behind the wheels are 15. 75-inch front brakes and 14. 2-inch rear brakes.
The Ioniq 5 N is built on Hyundai’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), which is also shared with Genesis GV60 and Kia EV9.
According to Hyundai, the Ioniq 5 N can accelerate from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes at a speed of more than 250 kW. With a 240V two-point evaluator, your batteries can run from 10% to one hundred percent in about 7 hours.
The SUV also has bi-directional charging capability, which means it can power small appliances outside the vehicle.
The EPA rates the Ioniq five N for only 221 miles of range. Due to the cold weather, I had difficulty going 20 five miles per charge.
The Ioniq 5 N’s biggest shortcoming is its lack of range. The regular Ioniq 5 with a similar battery pack is rated for up to 318 miles in rear-wheel drive guise and 290 miles with all-wheel drive.
(High-performance EVs tend to be rated for shorter ranges, due to the power required for faster acceleration or more power.)
Instead, locate a plastic canopy that hides batteries and electronics.
By pressing the orange “NGB” button on the steering wheel, the total power of the Ioniq 5 N increases from 601 to 641 horsepower in 10 seconds.
Driving the Ioniq five N is a dream. It takes everything glorious about high-performance electric vehicles, instant torque and mind-blowing acceleration, and bundles it into a package with the visceral pleasures of an internal combustion rally car.
As a result, everything seems surreal. The Ioniq 5 N is a dual-motor electric vehicle, but when the correct functionality settings are activated, a tachometer appears and the car operates as if it has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood.
Fire up the Ioniq 5 N and the shift lever will allow you to shift through the gears simulating an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
It offers a simulated ICE experience like no other vehicle on the market.
Hyundai claims the 4,900-lb SUV can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.25 seconds and reach a top speed of 162 mph.
Despite the flashy exterior, you’ll find a cabin that’s anything but flashy. Instead, the focus here is to make the Ioniq 5 N easy to live with as a daily driver.
The ergonomics and quality are both excellent. There’s loads of storage space and charging options. I also love the folding cup holder, which tuck out of the way for additional storage.
The heated and ventilated leatherette bucket seats were exceptionally favourable when cornering. However, they are manually adjusted, which can be a bit awkward when getting in and out of the vehicle.
Instead of a traditional gauge cluster, the Ioniq 5 N comes with a configurable digital instrument display.
The Ioniq 5’s shift lever is on the right side of the guide column, where the ignition key used to be. It’s in a strange location but its use is strangely intuitive.
The touchscreen runs the latest edition of Hyundai’s corporate infotainment system, which is easy to navigate and packed with features.
The screen is also home to the Ioniq 5 N’s many performance features menus as well as its surround view camera.
The Ioniq 5 N comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Rear seat occupants get their own dedicated USB sockets and AC vents mounted on the B-pillars by the doors.
Fold the rear seat split 60/40 and the shipping capacity will increase to 59. 3 cubic feet.
The rear of the Ioniq Five N also features a small garage space under the floor. That’s where you locate your charging cables and tire inflation kit.
Standard features include a surround-view monitor, blind spot view monitor, blind spot collision avoidance, navigation-based smart cruise control, lane-following assist, and lane-keeping assist.
Driving the Hyundai Ioniq five N is like watching the steak scene from The Matrix. My brain tells me that this Hyundai Orange Soultronic looks and sounds like a turbocharged rally car from the ’80s; He hits the accelerator and also speeds like a bat out of hell.
But I also know that everything is false. There are no four amplified bangers on the hood and the sound is coming from the speakers.
At the end of the day, though, I don’t care. Ignorance is bliss because I enjoyed every second I had behind the wheel of the Ioniq 5 N.
My only complaint is that it runs out of battery before I can get home.
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